Today's Journal

A Little Place Card History

One of Tournesol's most popular gifts are Place Tiles.  These free standing ceramic tiles arrive in a set of 6 tiles in a beautiful blue box. These elegant tiles can be used as name plates for seating around your holiday table...or to identify items on your buffet...or wines at your wine tasting.  My grandchildren love to use the dry erase marker to write the names and then erase and change the names!

Kristen Bowen, designer of PlaceTiles, sent me some interesting history that I thought I would share with you...

Virginia Robinson, a 1920's socialite was often called "The First Lady of Beverly Hills".  She hired a Tiffany's craftsman to create for her a personalized porcelain place card.  Although common in Europe, this was the first of its kind in America.  This place card was delicately marked by a single hand painted rose along with Virginia Robinson's signature in raised gold.

According to source, Virginia used it every night for dinner at home and at every gala, event or dinner party she attended.  To accept any of her many invitiations, Virginia's butler would hand deliver her place card as proof of her acceptance and to secure her place at the dining table.

This  place card graces the pages of our history books and can still be viewed at the Robinson home on the National Historic Register tour in Beverly Hills.

 

Source:  Modern Antiques for the Table:  A Guide to Tabletop Accessories of 1890-1940   by Sheila Chefetz, Risa Palazzo